When you crave something different but not too exotic for dinner, try picadillo! Brightened with green olives and capers, mellowed with currants, and warmed with cumin and cinnamon, this ground beef dish is sure to please young and old alike with its mild salty-sweet flavors. We piled it into lettuce leaves with rice and fresh pico de gallo for the perfect summertime meal.

And now, my husband and I are off to Santa Fe for a little two-night babymoon. October’s coming fast (though most days I’d say not fast enough!), and we are ready to relish this oasis of kid free time.

Hope you have a great week too! I’ll be back next week with another installment of the prioritizing food dollars series.

Hm, I should write about that. I think it constantly. And then I hear a lip smack and sigh of satisfaction behind me. I turn and behold Baby Bear, open bottle of children’s Benadryl in hand. Heart attack ensues. Blog post goes out the window.

You see my predicament.

So. While I have a lot of resources and info to share, full articles about them all just can’t happen. I’m trying Wholesome Goodness Quick Bites, then, an occasional short report of the tried-and-true recipes, articles, tools, and resources that serve me well and I think you might appreciate too.

Cosmetics companies swear you need a full line of coordinated high-tech products to beat your skin into submission. I took the bait early. For over a decade, I anxiously cleansed, exfoliated, toned, applies special serums and gels, moisturized–all twice a day–and regularly used fancy masks. You know what I got? So-so skin and a scary bill. Oh, and a boatload of unregulated chemicals. (If you think the FDA regulates your skincare ingredients, think again.)

After growing terribly ill and switching to a holistic approach to heal, I got smart about those chemicals. I switched to natural product lines, some of them quite excellent. (Chae Organics is a notable example.) But it took me a lot longer to ditch the old mentality. I still thought I needed all the specialized products, that my body was the enemy. Skin “care” was really about skin control.

Do you ever wonder if organic is worth the money? Or is local better? And if you can only buy a few top-quality grocery items, which ones should you choose—grass-fed beef or organic carrots? This series is for you!

And it’s for me too. Because life has changed for my little family. Our new home in Farmington, New Mexico, comes with some baggage—state income tax, high utility bills, and remoteness—while my husband’s job doesn’t follow the same generous raise schedule we enjoyed before. My toddler eats adult portions and, oh yes, there’s a bun in the oven, due before the end of the year.

We are blessed with more than we need, and yet, we have limits. We can’t buy it ALL, even if we could figure out what the “perfect” ALL looks like.

It’s that time again–I guest blogged recently at The Nourishing Gourmet, this time with a perfect-for-Spring healthier take on a takeout favorite, Vietnamese bun. If you’re craving all things fresh and light after a winter of warming comfort foods, this dish is for you! It pairs bright herbs like mint and cilantro with savory chicken, and crisp veggies with silky rice noodles, all topped with a sweet-salty-tangy sauce.